The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-09-17
PARIS MILLiNERS.
The Ordinary Life and Labors of tho Aver
age French ModIste.

The Ordinary Life and Labors of tho Aver
age French Modiste.
The author of the "Bonheur des
Danes" has dealt more with the shop
girl than with the modiste, although he
may have among his valuable papers
whole pile of "human documents" rela-
tive to the thousands of women who
are daily employed in Paris designing
and finishing garments for the great
ladies who set the fashions. While M.
Zola's possible production about mil
liners remains is In an embryotic con-
dition, the great realistic writer has
been anticipated by M. lie Roux, who
gives an admirable sketch of the ordi-
nary life and labors of the Lutetian
millincr. According to him the ranks
of the n,odistes are largely recruited
from school mistresses who can not
find pupils, daughters of theatrical peo-
pie who do not like to expose their chill
dren to the perils of the stage, and per-
sons whose parents have come down in
the world. Never does the Partisan
milliner allow herself to be called all
OuUriere. She is, on the contrary.
dcnoiselle, and the very poor
est of these demoiselles would die
rather than cross the street like a
work -girl-that is to say, without hat
or gloves. In some great houses of
millinery, dignity is SO much thought
of that the staircase leading to the
aiodisteS' rooms is often marked
"Escalier des artistes." The appren-
tice milliner, who has paid premium,
is allowed to sew wire around hats and
to work on old models, while the char
ity apprentice, or modillon. picks up
pins from the floor of the work-room,
runs errands for the artistes. and car
ries parcels for the firm all over Paris.
After about two years apprenticeship
the blossoming n,odiste becomes an dp-
preteuse, and earns about f2 per month,
eagerly awaiting the while her eleva-
ton to the rank of garntssemse. These
(the garnisseuses) are the stars of the
profession. They are to be met every
where looking for hits. They are at
first nights in thcaters, scanning with
close scrutiny the dresses of the act
resses, who, like Marie Magnier, have
new costume for each scene in which
they appear. They attend fashionable
weddings ut the Madeleine. and even
hunt about the book-shops and stalls on
the qnays, pecring over old. fashioned
engravings. Not SO well paid as
these are the uendeuses, who must have
II good deal of tact, an eye for form and
color, and be able to hit off the taste OF
customers to u nicely. Some of the
cendeuses, who speak English in adj
dition to their other accomplishments,
receive rs much us E12O per annum in
good houses. A few of the "scllers" are
also employed in soliciting orders fol-
their houses. Milliners are divided into
two classes-those in shops and those in
apartments or private rooms. The
rnodiste en- boutique is not II creator
of fashions, so she generally sends one
of her most aristocratic-looking as
sistants as II customer into the private
rooms of the leading milliners, in order
to ask for the novelties of the season.
Sometimes the trick is discovered, and
vengeance is taken in many ways pecu
| liar to the inventive female mind. On
one occasion IL premiere, or forewoman
from milliner's shop was identified by
q fashionable Nine. Mantalini in hel
rooms, and was locked up in closet
where she received bread and water 70,
her sustenance, until her mistress hat
to come, crestfallcn and confused, t.
claim her.-Paris Cor. London Iels
graph..